Anything for Family
by Steph-Schell
Summary: Jonah has to take care of his family. No matter what it takes (Explicit language. Piper has a dirty mouth.)


Piper held her little girl close. "How much further?" she called.

"Woman, if I knew I would tell you."

On a normal day, Piper would have bristled at the statement. But she couldn't blame Jonah for his tone right now. They were all a mess. The storm had come out of nowhere, all punishing rain and raging winds, forcing the family into their camper and onto the road in the hopes that they could find a sturdier structure to hide in. Jonah had decided they should make their way to a farm nearby held by two of their friends. They were supposed to meet up there in a few days anyway. "Jonah, are you even on the road?" Piper demanded.

"Spitfire, I don't think there is a road."

Annabelle tugged at her mother's arm. "Are we gonna make it?" she asked quietly.

Piper gave a thin smile. "Of course we are, sweetie. Don't worry." Privately, though, she was worried. Things were not looking very good for the small family.

It took them much longer than normal but two white knuckled hours later they were at the barn. "Piper King, is that you?" Miriam called as they darted in.

"Fraid so," Piper nodded. "Hope we're not intruding."

"Not at all," Frank told them. "Miriam, go get them some towels to dry off. How did you all get here anyway?"

"Camper," Jonah replied as he shut the door.

"Camper?" Frank repeated. "You realize you were trying to out run a tornado, don't you?"

"We do now," Piper sighed. She looked at Annabelle. "You alright, sweetie?"

"I'm wet," the girl moaned.

"Not for long," Miriam said triumphantly. "Dry yourself off with this sweetheart and then go to the bathroom. I left dry clothes in there."

"Thank you," Piper sighed as she and Jonah took dry towels from the other woman. "We didn't even realize there was a storm on the way. It just appeared out of nowhere."

"It was all over the weather reports," Frank told her.

"Radio's been busted for the last week," Jonah said. "I keep meaning to fix it but there's never a repair shop when you need one."

"Well, you're here now," Miriam smiled. "The two of you might as well change yourselves. The only thing those clothes are going to do is make you catch a cold. Then you can come down to the basement with the rest of us and we'll get some hot food into you. You're sure to feel better after that."

"Thank you," Jonah murmured. "For everything."

"Not a problem," Frank assured them.

The small family dried themselves off and changed into warmer clothes before heading down the steps to the finished basement. They weren't the only ones who had come to the Bennett farm for help. Several other Book Keepers and their families were there as well. The Kings greeted the people they knew and smiled at those they didn't. Piper settled in a corner with their things while Jonah took Annabelle over to get food. "Piper Clemet?" a voice called.

Piper looked up to see a boy from her hometown in front of her. "Jason," she greeted quietly with a thin smile.

"It's so good to see you, Piper. I'd heard you became a Book Keeper but I didn't believe it."

"Well believe it," Piper shrugged. "I collect souls for hell."

"Who would have thought Piper Clemet would end up in this life?"

"It's King," Piper corrected with a sigh.

"Excuse me?"

"My last name. It's not Clemet anymore, it's King."

Jason frowned at her. "You got married?"

"About two months after I left town," Piper nodded. "That's my husband, Jonah over there."

Jason looked to where she was pointing. "He's twice your age Piper."

"He's not actually," Piper corrected. "And it doesn't matter. He's a good man and he takes care of our daughter."

"So Piper Clemet married Jonah King and ended up as a Book Keeper," Jason sighed. "Interesting."

"How so?" Piper asked archly.

"Well, word around the water cooler is Jonah King used to be one of the greats but he's past his prime now."

"He's still a damn good Book Keeper," Piper informed him, gathering her things. "It was good to see you Jason. Don't talk to me again."

"Something wrong?" Jonah asked as his wife stormed over.

"Nothing," Piper said.

"You don't have that look when it's nothing," Jonah countered as they made their way to another corner of the room. "You can talk to me you know."

"Does it have to do with that other man?" Annabelle asked.

"Other man?" Jonah raised an eyebrow.

"There was a man about momma's age talking to her while we got food," Annabelle explained.

Jonah looked at Piper. "It was a boy from my hometown," she explained as they got settled in their corner. "It was a stupid conversation that meant nothing." She leaned up to kiss him. "Just forget about it, baby."

Jonah smiled at her. "Nothing wrong with catching up a little," he said. "Let's eat shall we?"

As they ate, Jonah watched his wife relax more. He decided he didn't need to know what she had been talking about to the other man. There were more important things to worry about. Things that he needed to take care of as soon as possible. Jonah watched as Piper took Annabelle to return the dishes. He reached into his pack and pulled out a worn and slightly waterlogged book. "Please tell me you're not going to start reading that shit to our daughter," Piper sighed.

Jonah looked up. "Most mothers would encourage reading the Bible to their daughters."

"We have long established that I am not like most mothers."

"That is very true."

Piper sat next to him. "You only bring that out when you're worried. So what's on your mind?"

"Same things that's been on my mind for a while now," Jonah admitted. He set the book down and looked Piper right in the eye. "I'm goin' out tonight."

"Jonah, are you crazy? There's a hurricane out there."

"There's also a mob boss and his closest kin holed up just two miles outside of town."

"And?"

"And? And? And my goddamn daughter ain't eaten in two days. Money don't grow on trees, Piper. But there's money to be made in this deal. Enough to keep us going for months at least. Longer maybe."

Piper sighed and ran both hands through her hair. There were times when all she needed was a stern word to turn Jonah from his path. Other times it took her best lingerie and wicked smile. But then there were times like this where trying to dissuade him would only waste time and energy. "Fine," she agreed. "Let me find Miriam and then we can go."

"We?" Jonah repeated.

"Yeah, we." Piper lifted her chin. "If you wanted a wife that stayed home and watched the children while you're out hunting, you married the wrong woman."

Jonah cracked a half smile. "That's my Spitfire," he said fondly. "Go find Miriam. We can't dawdle."

"Yes sir," Piper sighed. She had meant for it to come out flirty and teasing but she was too tired. She found both her daughter and Miriam. Piper passed Annabelle off to the other woman, explaining the situation as best she could without worrying either of them. Then she and Jonah grabbed their guns and coats and headed back into the storm.

Annabelle would always remember the next four hours. She spent them clutching onto Miriam Bennett's shoulder with white knuckles. The woman did her best to comfort the ten year old but she was nervous herself. Everything only got worse when the door banged open. A bedraggled Piper lurched in, half dragging and half carrying her husband who was bleeding from several places on his body. "I need help!" she called.

Annabelle tore herself from Miriam's arms and charged her mother as others swarmed to help her father. Piper sank to her knees as she pulled the girl into a tight hug. "Momma?" she asked.

"It's going to be okay," Piper promised.

Miriam knelt by them. "Piper? Piper, honey, the blood…"

Piper looked down at her clothes. "Most of it isn't mine," she admitted. "It was…never mind."

"Are you hurt?"

"Just a scratch. Take care of Jonah."

"There are lots of people looking after Jonah. Let's take a look at you."

Piper kept a tight grip on her daughter but allowed Miriam to lead her to a spare bedroom to be looked over. She had several scratched but only one needed stitches. Most of the blood wasn't hers. "What happened?" Miriam asked.

"We need the money," Piper said quietly. Her voice was rough and scratchy. Miriam wasn't' sure if that was from screaming or crying. "We got it. Got plenty of it. But Jonah had to be the hero. Like always." She looked away. "Stupid, stupid man."

"Momma, is he going to die?"

Piper's gaze whipped back to her daughter's terrified face. "Not a chance," she insisted. "If he dies…I swear to god…" Piper shoved herself off the bed. "I need to have a talk with someone. Miriam, I swear if you let my little girl out of your sight I'll shoot you right between the eyes."

"Where's momma going?" Annabelle asked.

"I'd guess to see The Accountant," Miriam told her as she gathered up the dirty things.

"Uncle Archie's in trouble," Annabelle declared.

Piper found herself a quiet dark room where she could summon The Accountant. But after three different chants there was still no sign. "Fucking Christ," she muttered. "I know you can hear me! Stayin' away won't help you! You get your ass down here now or…or…or no sex for a month!"

"No sex for a month?" a dry voice repeated. "That's quite the punishment, Miss Piper."

"It's not even half of what you deserve you self-serving sack of shit!"

"Easy now, Piper. You'll reopen those stitches if you jump about too much."

Piper shoved him. "Reopen my stitches?! You…you …you bastard! You fucking bastard!" She shoved him again. "Do you have any idea?" She gripped her hair as she tried to make her thoughts form sentences. "My husband is lying on a damn bed, possibly bleeding out and you're fucking making jokes!" Another shove. He didn't move but somehow she felt better doing it.

"I didn't make him go."

"You're the one that gave him the fucking list. Don't you act like this isn't your fucking fault. You knew what he would do! You knew!"

"I did," the Accountant agreed. "But you know I have no more desire to hurt Jonah than you do."

"Then why?" she sobbed. "Why do it?"

"Because he was insistent. He said you needed the money. And if I didn't give him a list, he would find other ways of getting it."

"You're a goddamn liar!" Piper shrieked. "My Jonah wouldn't'!"

"Maybe not. But think what might have happened if I pressed the issue."

Piper socked him in the jaw. The Accountant moved with it so it wouldn't hurt her fist but they both knew he felt nothing. She kept hitting him. He kept letting her. He could feel her pain in every punch and hear it in every scream. Piper couldn't' show this to her daughter. So The Accountant let her take it out on him. Eventually the hitting stopped but the crying remained. The Accountant pulled her into his arms as she sobbed over how badly Jonah had been hurt and how it had all been to keep her safe. "Easy," he murmured as the crying slowed. "His name is not on the books."

Piper looked at him in a way that made her look like she was Annabelle's age. "Really?"

"I would not lie about that, sweet Piper."

Piper nodded. "You ever do something like this again, you tell me first," she warned.

"I promise." The Accountant handed her a handkerchief to wipe her eyes. "Now you'd better go. You've got a little girl to look after. We wouldn't want Annie upset would we?"

"Course not," Piper agreed. She wiped her eyes as best she could but she knew she still looked like a raccoon. Couldn't' be helped though. Piper blew her nose and handed the handkerchief back to its owner. "Guess this is as decent as I'll be able to look tonight."

"I think you look just fine," he said with a smile.

"You're still a lying sack of shit," she replied. She pulled him down for a quick kiss. "But you're my lying sack of shit."

"Always good to know. Now go care for your daughter."

Piper gave herself one last shake and then marched out to find her little girl. She found Annabelle in Miriam's arms, too distressed to pay much attention to the other woman. "Annabelle," she called, "come here."

Annabelle darted to her mother as fast as her legs could carry her. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Not yet," Piper admitted. "But it's better. Now come along and I'll tell you a story."

"I want to hear about how you and daddy got me."

Piper's mouth twisted. She hated that story. "How about I tell you about how your daddy and I met? You like that story."

"Okay."

Piper settled on the floor, pulled her daughter close and told her story after story. She told her every tale she could remember about being a Book Keeper with Jonah. Heavily edited of course. It was hours later when someone finally approached them. "Jonah is awake," he said. "And he's asking for you."

Piper gathered Annabelle into her arms and followed the man to the bedroom where they were keeping Jonah. "You need to be careful," he warned. "He's lost a lot of blood and he shouldn't move much. But you can talk for a little bit."

"I hear my two favorite girls out there," a warm voice called.

Piper smiled as she stepped inside the room. "You look like hell," she told him.

"Feel like hell too," he agreed.

Annabelle wiggled from her mother's arms and darted to jump on her father's bed. "Careful," Piper called. "Don't go jostling your daddy like that."

"Don't you listen to her, my little angel. You just come right on up here so daddy can see you properly. Were you good for Mrs. Bennett?"

"Yes, daddy." Annabelle settled herself next to him on the bed.

"Good." Jonah looked over at his wife. "Don't just stand there. Come sit. I can't see you all the way over there."

Piper took a seat next to his bed and took his hand. "I'm glad you're okay," she whispered.

"I am too," he smiled. He kissed her hand. "You arlight?"

"Just fine. But you ever do something that stupid again, I'll cut your nuts off," she warned.

"I'll remember that," Jonah nodded. "Come up here on the bed. I want to sleep with both my girls close by tonight."

Piper curled up next to him and the three of them slept that way. It was the most restful sleep they'd had in ages.

The next morning Piper insisted on starting back out on the road. Miriam and Frank protested but Piper held her ground. "We need to get the camper looked at and Jonah could use a real doctor looking him over," she pointed out.

"I still think you should stay just one more day," Frank sighed.

"Thank you, but we'll be fine." Piper looked around. "Annabelle? Annabelle, get yourself on this camper right now. We need to go."

Jonah poked his head out of the window as Annabelle scampered inside the camper. "I don't' need a doctor," he insisted.

"You need what I say you need," Piper retorted. "And don't' you sass me, Jonah King. Not after the grief you put me through last night."

Jonah smiled. "I love you, sweet Piper."

"I love you too baby. Now lie back down on that bed. I'm gonna drive us to the next county so you can get looked at."

"Try not to jostle the camper too much," he called lying down."

"I'll do my best. Annie, go lie with your father."

Annabelle curled up like a cat next to Jonah as Piper started the camper. She was just about to pull out when someone knocked on the door. "Room for one more?" The Accountant asked.

"Uncle Archie!" Annabelle squealed.

Piper gave him a considering look. "You gonna get my husband's ass jacked again?"

"I will certainly try not to."

"Fair enough. Step inside. Mind your manners."

"Yes ma'am."

Piper waited until The Accountant made himself comfortable before pulling out. The little family was back on the road once more.


End file.
